Machine Quilting Wholecloth Quilts

Wholecloth quilts are a stitched symphony of fabric, motifs, texture and embellishments. Showcase your quilting as you design and create your own wholecloth treasure.

Create your own exquisite, one-of-a-kind wholecloth quilts with award-winning instructor Cindy Needham. From choosing and preparing a decorative vintage linen or conventional cotton, to auditioning threads, basting and beyond, Cindy will be your expert guide. Learn to mark and stitch both striking medallion designs and flowing all-over designs. Find out how prints from your backing fabric can inspire the motifs you quilt on top. Bring texture and dimension to negative space with fillers like cathedral windows, special feathers and more. Then, learn to lay out borders, block your quilt and square it up. Cindy will also provide tips for using cutwork, bridgework, lace edgings and beading to make your quilt even more elegant.

Lesson 1. Fabric Selection

Lesson 2. Preparing Your Wholecloth Quilt

Learn how to mark motifs on your cloth, whether using a template or a light table, and how to baste the cloth to the batting and backing.

26:40

Lesson 3. Medallion & Border Designs

Discover techniques for designing and using a medallion template, adding borders and tips for using a heavy thread to add design detail and to cover traveling threads.

18:00

Lesson 4. All-Over Designs

Use templates to create all-over designs, or common shapes — squares, triangles, circles and more — to define areas on a cloth and create a modern feel.

31:20

Lesson 5. Fillers & Feathers

Cindy shares some of her favorite fillers: repetitive lines, cathedral windows, clamshells and feathers as well as some creative variations on each.

9:11

Lesson 6. Blocking

Blocking is essential when working with a wholecloth quilt. Learn to pin like a pro and square up your quilt in no time.

22:56

Lesson 7. Special Techniques

Cindy shares numerous examples of incorporating vintage napkins, place mats, lace and crochet into wholecloth quilts as well as how to create a one-of-a-kind hanging sleeve and how to add beads to your masterpiece.

"Cindy is a GREAT teacher. I love her gentle, unhurried, down to earth style. She does wonderful quilting and got me so inspired. Although her pieces look so detailed and difficult to do, Cindy shows her students how to easily break everything down, fill in smaller spaces and build up complicated designs that look amazing. Thank you Cindy far another wonderful Craftsy class." - SarahPNew Zealand

Lesson 1. Fabric Selection

Lesson 2. Preparing Your Wholecloth Quilt

Learn how to mark motifs on your cloth, whether using a template or a light table, and how to baste the cloth to the batting and backing.

26:40

Lesson 3. Medallion & Border Designs

Discover techniques for designing and using a medallion template, adding borders and tips for using a heavy thread to add design detail and to cover traveling threads.

18:00

Lesson 4. All-Over Designs

Use templates to create all-over designs, or common shapes — squares, triangles, circles and more — to define areas on a cloth and create a modern feel.

31:20

Lesson 5. Fillers & Feathers

Cindy shares some of her favorite fillers: repetitive lines, cathedral windows, clamshells and feathers as well as some creative variations on each.

9:11

Lesson 6. Blocking

Blocking is essential when working with a wholecloth quilt. Learn to pin like a pro and square up your quilt in no time.

22:56

Lesson 7. Special Techniques

Cindy shares numerous examples of incorporating vintage napkins, place mats, lace and crochet into wholecloth quilts as well as how to create a one-of-a-kind hanging sleeve and how to add beads to your masterpiece.

The instructor

Cindy Needham, Instructor of Machine Quilting Wholecloth Quilts

Cindy is a nationally recognized quilting instructor. She is the author of Wholecloth Linen Quilts. She fell in love with quilting over 40 years ago while her family was stationed in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. Her articles have been published in many magazines, including Quilters Newsletter, American Quilter and Machine Quilting Unlimited.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(36 reviews)

Inspiring Confidence

by Grandma Lilian on March 1, 2015

I am making a king size whole cloth quilt as a wedding gift to our son and his fiancee, so it is really important that it is the best work I can do. Cindy has led me through the process of basting and marking the quilt and has given me the confidence to make a start on this project.

I am making a king size whole cloth quilt as a wedding gift to our son and his fiancee, so it is really important that it is the best work I can do. Cindy has led me through the process of basting and marking the quilt and has given me the confidence to make a start on this project.

Inspiring!

by Cherie G on February 28, 2015

Step by step inspiration for fabulous quilting. Love it.

Step by step inspiration for fabulous quilting. Love it.

Amazing!

by busybee76 on February 21, 2015

Fabulous class! I am learning so much! One of the best instructors !

Fabulous class! I am learning so much! One of the best instructors !

Whole Cloth Beauty

by Betsy Segura on February 16, 2015

So far, so great!

So far, so great!

Amazing Instructor

by carla-mcg100000164192965 on February 14, 2015

I love Cindy's classes. She has a great way of presenting the information. Her designs are beautiful and her methods are always practical. This is my second class of hers and I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to improve their quilting.

I love Cindy's classes. She has a great way of presenting the information. Her designs are beautiful and her methods are always practical. This is my second class of hers and I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to improve their quilting.

Cindy‘s class is about creating beautiful quilted designs on a single piece of cloth and how its creation is different than traditional quilt-making. You will learn about dividing your spaces, medallion motifs, all-over designs and background fillers. You will learn how to block your quilt and how to add beautiful beading.